Hello, thanks for enrolling in ECE 3484, Combinatorial Optimization. I'm glad to see that there continues to be interest in the course from NTU students. However taking or teaching a network class can be a challenge. The following instructions and guidelines will help you get the most out of the class, and me teach most effectively.

• Please send me an email message: meleis@ece.neu.edu. In this message, give me a contact email address, phone number, and fax number. I will use this information to set up a class mailing list, to send material to you, and to contact you if necessary.
  

• Most readings in the course are taken from the required text, however some readings are included in a course pack. NTU will contact you about sending it to you. The coursepack is also available from the Northeastern Univ. bookstore. If you are nearby you can buy it there, but don't ask them to mail it to you.
  

• All homework and project writeups must be received by me within two weeks of the regular announced deadline. You should allow enough time for material to be mailed.
  

• The way to send any material to me is to mail (or have mailed by NTU) an original, stapled, hardcopy directly to my regular address:
  

  Waleed Meleis
  Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  440 Dana Research Center
  Northeastern University
  360 Huntington Avenue
  Boston MA 02115-5000
  

  Project writeups should be typeset. However your homework can be handwritten. You can send material to me directly, or send it through NTU/Network Northeastern. Do not send me any faxed or electronic material. This policy is used because faxes are difficult to read, and electronic material comes in a wide range of formats.
  

• You should keep a copy of any material you submit.
  

• You will need to use optimization software that is installed at Northeastern Univ. We will create an account for you, and you will be able to use the software remotely.
  

• Network students have told me that they can follow the class best if I use dark markers to write on the board, write large, give them enough time to take notes when I finish writing on each board before going to the next board, and repeat questions that students in the classroom ask. Please remind me if I forget to do these things, or if I can do anything else.
  

• Deadlines for network students are extended two weeks to account for delays in your seeing the lectures, and to account for mailing time. However I expect you keep up with the class. The class project is time consuming so I suggest that you make sure that you don't leave too much of the work for the last few weeks.
  

• To read postscript (.ps) files, download and install the ghostview application. It can be found online for free.